Time switch for alarm systems



' Feb. 1e, 1926.

P. A. FRIEL TIME SWITCH FOR ALARM SYSTEMS Filed March 20, 1924 Man. j

-laterited Feb. 16, 1925.

PATRICK A. FRIEL, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK.

TIME SW'ITCI-I FOR ALARM SYSTEMS.

Application filed March 20, 1924.

To all fro/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PATRICK A. FnIrL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and `State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Switches for Alarm Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical circuit closers or switches which, though designed particularly for use in connection with iiow alarms, is adapted for more general use and particularly when it is desired that Vthe contact will be made or the circuitclosed only after the lapse oit a material amount of time after the circuit closing mechanism has been operated or brought into vproximity to the normally spaced contaets.

Among the objectsof the invention, therefore, is to provide an alarm or signal system yfor use in connection with water pipes or mains adapted to indicate to any one in authority that a flow of water is taking place, such for instance, as would be the case in the practice of automatic sprinkler systems for buildings orthe like, the mechanism being so designed that a momentary excess pressure on the water due to the flow of the same along the mains or because of other conditions will not serve to cause the manifestation of the signal mechanism, but only when or after when a predetermined number of seconds has elapsed. As a result of the improvedtime mechanism for closing the circuit it follows that a great deal of annoyance due to premature or undesired sounding of the alarm or manifestation of a signal is prevented, but the mechanism is so designed that when there is a real occasion for the sounding of the alarm due to continued pressure or flow of the water the signal will be manifested promptly.

More detinite-ly stated, my invention involves a time switch mechanism including a movable body or carrier with which are associated normally spaced contacts and a movable circuit closing member, Ssuch as ya body of fluid movable `into vproxii'nity with the spaced contacts for bridging them ais a result of the movement of the body, but 'the body being so `constructed that a kmaterial lapse of time vis requisite' for completion of the circuit after the movement of kthe `circuit closing member, the construction, how- Serial No. 700,535.

ever, being that the circuit closing member will return to normal position practically instantaneously following the tilting of the body back to its normal position.

Vvlith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure l is mainly a side elevation of my improvement appliedl to a portion of a water main shown in section, and parts of the switch mechanism being shown .in section substantially on the line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail of the switch mechanism about on the line @#2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the tiltable body or carrier on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more speciiically to the drawings, I show at l() a joint of a water circulating system having mounted therein a swinging valve 1l which is normally held closed when the water in the system is static, but which is adapted to open toward the right in Fig. l under an extensive pressure toward the left, this mechanism being in general similar to that shown in my previous Letters Patent No. 1466531 issued to me on the 28th day of August, 1922 Located at any convenient position is a pressure chamber 12 within which is located a tluid tight diaphragm 13 and to one side of which diaphragm fluid pressure is adapted to bev conveyed through a pipe la leading from the water circulating mechanism `from the region of the valve ll. Then the valve 1l opens as above indicated the fluid `pressure passes through a port l5 and is conveyed through the pipe 'let and acts toiiex the diaphragm 13 in a direction away from th'e'wate'r system or downward as shown herein. This pressure chamber and associated parts just described represent any means for physically actuating the movable parts of my ii'nproved time switch.

The principal feature of construction 'is a body 16 .ofsub'stantially cross shape` having longer and vshorterends lliand 16in and transversely proiecte'd arms 1G arranged at ri. it angles `to one another. Secured in suitable manner in the remote ends ot the arms 16 are tapped a. pair of supporting' pivots 17 each having a janib nut 18 while the pivot bears in a bracket 22 for attachment ol"l a load wire ot' any suitable signal or other electricI circuit. For convenience ot construction and simplicity ol oirieration the arms 16C are bored directly through from the end of one to the end ot the other as at 21, the diameter of this bore being relatircly small and the posts 17 constitute pivots as they are journaled in bca rings or brackets secured on the inside ot the opposite side walls of a switch casiiie 25h the axis oit' the pivots being, horizontal. 'f'he end it being` the longer and the aeavier, the. normal position of' the body lt' is as shown in Fig. Q where the heavier end portion thereof rests upon an actuator Qfl in the nature of a lever of the lirst class pivoted at 25 on a support 26u11 the bottom olt the easing. The end in contact with the body or carrier 1G is the longer and is bent upward so as to insure proper operation ot' the parts and the normal tende of the actuator lever to lie as shown in Fig'. S2 with its shorter end projected somewhat lupward at an inclination from the pivot 25 in Contact with a plunger 27 which is slidable in a vertical sleeve 28 and connected at its upper end at 29 to the diaphram 13. Then an excess pressure is developed in the diaphram or pressure chamber the plunger 27 is forced downward acting upon the shorter arm olf the actuator lever and so causing` the upward movement ot' the longer end thereof and the consequent tilting'o't the body toward the dotted line position ot Fig. 2. For convenience in assemblage and reliability in practice the operating parts now being described are preferably connected to a U-shape bracket or trame 30 lifted centrally Within the casing 23. A thimble olf' insulation 3l is shown passing through the casing 23 and tapped into the trame 30 to assist in locking` this :traine in position and to provideV an outlet tor the circuit wires 20.

The aforesaid longer and shorter ends ot the body or carrier are .longitudinally bored at 32 and 33 respectively and with the acres parallel as indicated. The diameter et' the bore 32 is preferably somewhat larger than that ot the other. That end of the bore that is normally downward is I'illed with movable circuit closing member such as a. body of mercury 84, and the end of the bore remote from the mercury comn'iunicates with the transverse port 2l. The bore 83 intersects the portl 2l and extends thence onward to about the mid point oit thebore 32 and communicates therewith through a .Short vtmusrerse bore 35. It will thus be seen that the two main bores und 33 overlap each other along their inner end portions.

The operation ol the suf'itch may be briefly sunm'iarizod as follows in view of the mechanism illustrated: lVhcn the actuator 24 is n'loved as above described to tilt the carrier iromnormal -to abnormal. position the body ot mercury 34 shifts promptly `from one end of the bore 3:2 to the other, going` into communication with the transverse port 21. The relative diameters ot these pai-ts are so proportioned that the mercury will llow through the port Qi Yfrom the bore 32 to the bore in a gradual rate ot speed. After a predetermined number ol seconds, say nine or ten, the body ot mercury or a portion ot it will have l'lowed through the port i and filled the end ol the bore 33 that if; then downward and constitutes an overtlow chamber, assuming that the abnormal pres sure continues to act upon the diaphragm and the actuator, holding the carrier in this dotted line or tilted position. lVhen.y therefore, the then. lower end portion ot the bore 233 becomes filled up to the transverse port- 21 the mercury will flow laterally tilling said transverse port as tar as the binding posts, making,- thereby a closed circuit. lVhen, however, the manifestation of the pressure mechanism is more or less momentary or continued too short a time for the alarm mechanism to be manifested, the actuator is held upward correspondingly too short a` time for enough mercury to flow through the small port 2l to lill the end portion ol' the bore to close the circuit. lVhen the lirrier o1.' body tilts back again to its normal position as a result of the dropping oli the actuator downward, all the mercury that may have passed laterally through the port 2l into the bore 33 will flow promptly back to normal position through the inner end portion of the bore to the transverse connecting port 35 ready for a subsequent operation. It will thus be obvious that there might occur a more or less rapid succession of short pressure impulses in the water tem actin@ upon the diaphragm and the switch yactuator without causingl the closing et the circuit, this being the result of the. quick return ot the circuit closingmen'iber or mercury bach from the teinywrary pit. or chamber 33 `following` each impulse, of the pressure mechanism.

The body or carrier 1G may be made ot liber or any other relatively cheap and durable material and when plugged as shown at the end of the ports the shi'l'table circuit closing member 3st therein will be retained. indelinitely and will always act promptly for the purpose set iorth herein. The con struction and assemblage ot the device are simple and certain oi operation.

l claim:

l. In switch mechanism, the combination of a movable fluid-containing member, electrical contact means borne by said tluidcontaining member and spaced 'from each other along a passage Way therein, another passage Way spaced trom the iirst nicntioned passage Way, a plurality of spaced passage Ways intersecting the first and the second mentioned passage Ways, Whereet one extends beyond the lirst mentioned passage Way, and the other in substantially opposite direction beyond the second mentioned passage Way.

2. In switch mechanism, the con'ibination o' a movable iuid containing member, electrical contact means borne by said meniher and spaced 'from each other along a passage therein which extends transversely et said member, another passage ext-ending along said merber and communicating with the transverse passage to discharge an electrical conducting material thereinto, a third passage communicating with the transverse passage and acting as an overflow and having communication With the second pas, 'e to return said material tl'iereintov` the return passage having comn'iunication with the second passage at such an angle that when the fluid is discharged from the second mentioned passage into the t1a.ns\ferse passage as aforesaid the fluid Will pass the opening et the third passage Without being discharged thereinto.

3; In switch mechanism7 the combination of a movable fluid containing member, elec trical contact means borne by said member, a constricted passage along which said means are spaced, a discharge passage arranged to discharge au electrical conduct ing fluid into the constricted passage, and another passage ot larger bore. than the constricted passage arranged to act as au overlow for the luid in the eonstricted passage and to return the same into the discharge passage, the axes of the constricted passage and of the orerllow being in substantially the same plane but said constricted passage being ot smaller bore and therefore shalloWer than said overflow passage the fluid Will be drained from said constricted passage before the lluid in the over-[low pas sage has been Wholly returned te the discharge passage.

4. In switch mechanism, the combination of a movable fluid containing member, electrical Contact means borne by said member, a passage along which said means are remotely spaced, said passage being constricted to retard the 'flow or a iiuid within the same in a direction from one Contact toward the other to bridge said contact means, and a pair oi other substantially parallel passages intersecting the iii-st passage one et which extends along said member .in one direction from the iirst passage, and the other or' which extends in an opposite direction from the tirst passage, said passages having communication with each other at a point spaced from the first passage, and being el relatively large here throughout to facilitate the rapid flow ot' the fluid therethrough.

In testimony whereof I ati'ix my signature.

PATRICK A. FRIEL.

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